First, let's define what a psychological portrait of a person is. A psychological portrait of a personality is a description of the inner world of an individual. Personality type, temperament, character, interests, abilities and much more are considered. Describing the psychological characteristics of a person is a complex process that involves several stages. Each of them has its own nuances and meaning, none of them should be missed. Let's figure out how and why you can create a psychological (socio-psychological) portrait of a personality.
Why do you need a psychological portrait of a personality?
Personality analysis helps in the work of a psychologist, social educator, psychiatrist, criminologist, and teacher. With its help, you can find an approach to any person, predict his reactions and actions, and select the optimal plan for rehabilitation or other work with the individual.
In addition, a psychological portrait is drawn up during the selection of personnel in marriage agencies. The ability to analyze the components of a portrait is useful in business for analyzing customers, partners, and clients. Personality studies are also used in career guidance.
In the end, the picture being compiled will be useful to anyone who wants to easily find mutual understanding with people. Based on your portrait, you can improve your relationships with your loved ones. Identifying and learning your psychological portrait is useful for self-development.
Is it possible to make up by appearance?
Some people are confident that psychologists, by looking at a person, can create a complete portrait of a person. Actually this is not true. You can't judge by appearance alone, especially when it comes to photography.
However, there are areas that do just that:
- physiognomy – the science of the connection between psychological and anatomical characteristics of a person;
- Kinesics is a science that studies non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions, body position, movements, etc.).
And yet, to paint a portrait, it is better to pay attention to the study of the inner world, and not to the appearance. Some researchers still consider physiognomy a pseudoscience.
An example of a description of a famous person
World historiography contains a large amount of information about various famous people.
Their psychological portraits are of particular interest.
Analysis of the individual characteristics of historical figures is carried out on the basis of the study of written testimonies of contemporaries, personal diaries of the people themselves.
With the help of physiognomy (analysis of character traits based on facial features), a psychological portrait is even drawn up from a photo .
Of great interest is the personality of Napoleon Bonaparte . His psychological portrait, compiled according to the above plan, looks like this:
- Man born in 1769 . Height - 169 cm. He suffered from epileptic seizures.
- Emperor of France , commander and statesman. Was married twice.
- Since childhood, he showed a love of reading . He experienced problems communicating with peers, because of whose bullying he was forced to spend most of his time in solitude. From an early age he showed interest in military affairs.
- Hot-tempered, purposeful, merciless, efficient, disciplined, selfish. He processed information and made decisions with lightning speed. He was an excellent tactician and strategist . Didn't like talking to people. Demonstrated a contemptuous attitude towards others. He easily fell into a state of anger, often developing into fits. Despite the presence of many internal contradictions, he outwardly tried to give the impression of a confident person. The main motive of activity is the thirst for power.
- An influential position in society and the presence of great power aggravated negative character traits that arose at an early age. Internal self-doubt gave rise to anger and contempt for others.
Components of a psychological portrait of a personality
Let's look at how to create a psychological portrait of a person. There are various modifications of the portrait, but most often its structure includes the following elements:
- human temperament (type of nervous system);
- IQ and predisposition to intellectual work;
- leading character traits;
- personality orientation;
- level of self-esteem;
- capabilities;
- values;
- communication skills;
- emotional-volitional sphere;
- motivational sphere;
- individualism-collectivism;
- other.
During diagnosis, it is important to maintain objectivity, clearly distinguish between facts and speculation, and exclude personal attitudes towards the person being examined. Therefore, it is better to entrust this to a professional psychologist. However, in the course of diagnosis, he also uses different methods: observation, tests and questionnaires, conversations with the subject’s friends, etc.
How to make a psychological portrait of a personality
To draw up a portrait, you need to ask a person to undergo several tests. However, this is not the only way. Let's consider popular methods and algorithms for drawing up a psychological portrait.
Eysenck test for determining temperament
The subject is asked to answer 57 questions. Based on the results of the survey, a graph is drawn up that shows the share of each type of temperament (not a single type is found in its pure form).
The test reveals not only the type of temperament (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic), but also the orientation of the personality: extroversion, introversion, ambiversion. The test also shows the client’s emotional stability or instability.
Eysenck IQ test
It determines not only intellectual development, but also creativity and the ability to think logically. The subject is asked to solve several problems. Then the results are summed up. The average IQ is 100-120 points. A score above 150 indicates genius, less than 80 indicates retardation.
Cattell's 16 factor questionnaire
The subject is asked to answer 187 questions. The technique allows you to assess several important psychological characteristics at once:
- isolation - sociability;
- concrete – abstract thinking;
- emotional stability – instability;
- the habit of submission is the habit of dominating;
- restraint - expressiveness;
- adherence to norms and discipline – low normative behavior;
- timidity - courage;
- realism - sensuality;
- suspicion - gullibility;
- practicality - dreaminess;
- naivety - insight;
- calm – anxiety;
- conservatism - radicalism;
- conformism - nonconformism;
- weak self-control – high self-control;
- relaxation – emotional tension.
Based on this alone, it is possible to create a detailed portrait of a personality. And if you also evaluate paired combinations of indicators, you can find out the following:
- leadership potential;
- communication skills and need for communication;
- attitude towards other people;
- intelligence;
- flexibility and speed of mind;
- emotional sensitivity;
- risk appetite;
- level of self-discipline and adherence to morality.
If you conduct this test in full, consider all the interpretations, then you can only use this technique alone to create a full-fledged portrait of a person. For example, this will be quite enough for personnel selection.
Eysenck test “Self-assessment of mental states”
The technique allows you to identify and assess the severity of anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, and rigidity. It is noteworthy that the survey results describe the client’s subjective feeling. This test is often used by psychologists and psychiatrists.
Self-assessment of stress resistance (N.V. Kirsheva, N.V. Ryabchikova)
The subject is asked to answer 18 questions. Based on the survey results, you can determine the level of stress resistance: from very low to very high. The test results will be useful when choosing a profession and job, selecting personnel, and in consultations with a psychologist. This questionnaire is also suitable for self-diagnosis and work on self-regulation and your emotions.
An example of writing a psychological portrait of a personality: sample
Let's look at ready-made psychological personality portraits, examples and writing samples.
Example No. 1
Client Ivan Ivanov (35 years old) has the following psychological characteristics:
- Temperament: sanguine.
- IQ: average level.
- Leading character traits: persistence, a heightened sense of duty and justice.
- Communication skills: well developed. Knows how to find a common language with different people, gain trust and negotiate.
- Abilities: noticeable leadership inclinations.
- Personality orientation: extraversion.
- Self-esteem: adequate, high.
The tests themselves and the results of intermediate studies are not included. Sometimes the gender, date of birth and education of the person is indicated, but this is not necessary. If the portrait is drawn up by a psychiatrist, he can briefly describe the patient’s life history, recent shocks and traumas. When drawing up a psychological portrait of a student, the teacher can write down brief information about the family.
Interesting! There is no single ready-made sample, so most often the portrait is described in free form (unless the company where the diagnostician works specifies otherwise).
Example No. 2
There are also other design options. For example, this is what a detailed psychological portrait of a person looks like: Subject: Vasily Vasechkin.
Key elements
The psychological portrait includes a description of the following personality traits:
- Temperament . It is customary to divide people into sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic. Usually, temperaments are rare in their pure form; more often, two similar types are combined in a person. Choleric people are active and purposeful, melancholic people are sensitive and vulnerable, sanguine people are extremely friendly and sociable, and phlegmatic people are reliable and calm. Depending on the rhythm of mental processes, people participate in activities, behave in relationships and enter into communication differently. Temperament is an innate, not an acquired quality. That is, a phlegmatic person will never become a choleric person, regardless of the degree of influence of external circumstances. Only some adjustment of the initial data is possible.
- Character. This personality trait is also manifested in the presence of stable behavioral traits. But character is formed to a greater extent as one grows up under the influence of life circumstances and upbringing.
And although its basis is made up of traits inherited from previous generations, they are largely supplemented by acquired moral and moral attitudes.Thus, children from the same parents who end up in different foster families may grow up completely different from each other due to differences in upbringing and living conditions. A person's character can be described both from a positive and negative side. For example, an individual can be kind, open, sociable, sympathetic and at the same time lazy, cowardly, and touchy.
- Capabilities . Usually abilities are divided into spiritual, physical and social. Primary are physical abilities - level of health, endurance, skills and achievements. Spiritual development occurs as one receives education and assimilates moral and cultural norms. Social skills develop through education. This is the ability to communicate, openness, discipline, responsibility, punctuality, etc.
- Intelligence .
A certain level of intelligence is inherent in a person from birth. History knows many cases when great geniuses appeared in absolutely ordinary families with undistinguished parents. Each individual has the opportunity to develop their intellectual abilities by acquiring new knowledge and practical experience, but initial natural data still plays an important role. Gifted, talented or brilliant people discover their abilities in a certain area at an early age. - Emotions . The emotionality of a person is expressed in the ability to reflect their experiences and moods. Depending on the degree of emotionality, an individual perceives the surrounding reality in a certain way and forms a response. Emotions help people understand each other better. Correctly assessing the state of your interlocutor makes it possible to adapt to his mood. Even with language, cultural or intellectual barriers, people always recognize the emotions of joy, sadness, fear, anger, etc. in the same way.
- Will . It is the developed volitional qualities that form the core of character and allow a person to achieve success in life. Purposefulness, self-control, determination and independence are all characteristics of a strong and self-sufficient personality. Even with favorable living conditions and the presence of outstanding intellectual abilities, a weak-willed individual will not be able to achieve significant results. Due to laziness, lack of initiative and lack of self-discipline, he will constantly miss out on favorable opportunities.
- Communication skills .
Any person, regardless of his age, social status and level of development, should be able to find a common language with others. People's communication abilities are developed to varying degrees. Not only natural data, but also acquired skills are of great importance. For example, a psychological portrait of a manager is guaranteed to contain information about the high level of development of the subject’s communication abilities. An employee’s professional activity is based on communication with people, and without communication skills it is impossible to achieve results in this area. - Self-control . This quality directly depends on the degree of development of volitional abilities. When hiring specialists who will perform their duties under stressful conditions, the level of self-control is one of the key characteristics.
- Self-esteem . This is the degree of confidence in yourself and your abilities. It is usually customary to talk about normal, low and high self-esteem. In the first case, a person evaluates himself most objectively. With low self-esteem, there is a lack of self-confidence and excessive self-criticism, and with high self-esteem, there is an overestimation of one’s own capabilities and achievements.
- Motivation .
An internal emotional state that motivates a person to action. The motive may be to obtain the desired position, material gain, position in society, the favor of significant people, etc.
Questions to determine your psychological portrait
There are no specific questions. To find out and write your psychological portrait of a personality, it is better to use simple techniques, for example, geometric and projective tests.
One of the popular techniques is the S. Dellinger test. To describe yourself, ask just one question: “Which shape attracts me more: rectangle, square, circle, triangle or zigzag?”
The interpretation of the answer helps determine the personality type:
| Figure | Description of the psychological portrait |
| Triangle | You are a born leader, accustomed to concentrating on the main thing. You easily manage to process large amounts of information and find a common language with different people. However, excessive rationality sometimes interferes with interpersonal interaction. |
| Rectangle | You are constantly in a state of search, thirsting for change. So from time to time you turn into one of the other types. Rectangle is the most unstable personality type. |
| Square | You are not afraid of work and are used to always achieving your goal and finishing what you start. You can achieve success in any field, but it is better to give preference to intellectual work. A measured life and the same type of work are more suitable for you; you love rules and order. |
| Zigzag | The most creative type. Because you think outside the box, you can be impulsive and inconsistent, which sometimes alienates others. However, at the same time, you know how to win over people. |
| Circle | The most harmonious type. The main value for you is interpersonal relationships. You are a born psychologist and diplomat. |
Reference
The golden rule of portrait painters is the so-called standard. A unique masterpiece, that is, a face, is subsequently sculpted from it.
It incorporated the following components:
- The line exactly halfway between the crown of the head and the chin marks the line of the eyes.
- The next line runs halfway between the eyebrow line and the end of the chin. This is the nose line.
- Divide the section between the nose and chin into three parts. The lower border of the upper third is where the lips are located. It may be slightly higher or lower, it all depends on the characteristics of the person.
- To find your eyebrow line, divide your head height by three and a half. Half of the three parts indicate the hairline. The second feature behind it is the eyebrow line. The third feature is the line of the nose.
After you have outlined the oval, mark the protruding elements:
- cheekbones;
- chin.
Divide your face in half vertically. In the case of a half turn, look at the example.
The line goes through and divides the “egg” in half. One half should be smaller than the other, as it is further away.
